We recently uncovered a comprehensive database, providing detailed information on the quantity of fuel delivered by Hezbollah to villages located in southern Lebanon over some of the months of the war.
This database encompasses the months of April 2024 to July 2024, when Hezbollah delivered 484,000 liters of fuel to 72 communities in southern Lebanon. Needless to say, all of these villages are distinctly Shiite, and they form part of the Shiite base that supports Hezbollah.
Bint Jabal and Al-Hayam top the list in terms of the amount of fuel supplied according to this database. It is highly likely that Hezbollah supplied additional quantities to additional villages that do not appear in the database figures.
The fuel supplied by Hezbollah, usually through Hezbollah’s “Al Amana” fuel company, comes from the independent fuel administration run by Hezbollah, at the expense of the Lebanese state’s general energy resources.
The data in our possession exposes a slice of Hezbollah’s separate civilian mechanism, which aims to “maintain” the Shiite base that supports the organization. Hezbollah administers a state inside a state using autonomous and working civilian systems, in contrast to the non-performing Lebanese state systems.
Hezbollah’s Executive Council assumes the responsibility of overseeing civilian administration processes serving the Shiite community. Hezbollah employs a strategy that fosters a state of reliance. This factor is a significant element contributing to the absence of criticism directed at Hezbollah by the Shiite community at large, and more specifically during times of war.
According to the data, fuel supply activity occurs in communities near the Israeli border, such as Kafr Kala, ‘Adisa, Maroun a-Ras, Yaroun, and ‘Aita a-Shaab. The average fuel supply in these villages is around 6,500 liters for the four months stated. Since a sizable Shiite population has abandoned these communities, it is possible to conclude that the fuel supply serves not just the civilian requirements of the remaining population, but also Hezbollah’s military activities. The civilian platform enables the military operations.
